WORK IN PROGRESS - will update maybe with step throughs, screen shots and video tutorials of the best methods.

WORK IN PROGRESS - will update maybe with step throughs, screen shots and video tutorials of the best methods.

-

Roughly in order of the best first. Though if you have a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) or similar already, there is a good chance it can do it already in which case it may be your natural first thing to try.

+

If you have a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) or similar already, there is a good chance it can do it already - if so that is your natural first thing to try.

==Benefits of Midi to Wav==

==Benefits of Midi to Wav==

Line 29:

Line 29:

[http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/ iTunes]

[http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/ iTunes]

+

+

Note - when iTunes starts up you get a message: "iTunes has detected that it is not the default player for audio files. Would you like to go to the Default Programs control panel to fix this?" with a check box "Do not show this message again".

+

+

[[Image:iTunesMessage.png]]

+

+

If you want to keep your current player for media files, you need to answer No to that message every time it starts up.

+

+

Also, don't use the check box.

+

+

If you select "Do not show this message again", then it treats your answer as a "Yes" even if you press the "No" button. I got caught out by this. It does it without any feedback to show what it has just done, does it silently. You only realise what happened next time you play a media file and find it opens in iTunes. That's rather unintuitive, when you press "No" you expect the program to understand that you don't want it as your media player - but it's what it does, the check box overrides your choice and makes it into a Yes.

{{#ev:youtube|W832I2WEQ3E|820}}

{{#ev:youtube|W832I2WEQ3E|820}}

Line 41:

Line 51:

* The converted file will appear in the Music section of iTunes and you can drag and drop to copy it back to your original folder or wherever you want to put it.

* The converted file will appear in the Music section of iTunes and you can drag and drop to copy it back to your original folder or wherever you want to put it.

+

+

Apart from the minor annoyance that you have to keep answering No to a message every time iTunes starts up, this works well as a solution and is easy to use.

===Free solution. Uses the Quicktime instruments, which are reasonable quality. But can't handle any other sound sets===

===Free solution. Uses the Quicktime instruments, which are reasonable quality. But can't handle any other sound sets===

Line 85:

Line 97:

===Good alternative to the more complicated DAWs for recording VSTi===

===Good alternative to the more complicated DAWs for recording VSTi===

-

==Export to audio in Kontakt==

+

==VSTi plugins for your DAW, or Cantabile Lite / Solo or SynthFont==

-

Kontakt has an export to audio feature. Not the free player though. Haven't tested it myself.

+

There are many VSTi for melodic instruments, including WusikStation, Crystal, DSK OranZe, ... [http://www.kvraudio.com/allpluginsononepage.php huge list of plugins at KVR]

-

NEED TO TEST THIS

+

A good free VSTi for percussion is [http://www.sonomawireworks.com/drumcore/downloads/ DrumCore Free].

-

+

-

===Sounds like a good solution. But haven't tested this myself===

+

==Export from the Garritan Personal Orchestra Aria Player==

==Export from the Garritan Personal Orchestra Aria Player==

-

-

Great sound set. So should work well - especially if you want natural sounding instruments.

[http://www.garritan.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=33&id=36&artlang=en Aria player for GPO supports export to WAV]

[http://www.garritan.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=33&id=36&artlang=en Aria player for GPO supports export to WAV]

-

NEED TO TEST THIS

+

-

===Should be high quality sounds. You have to pay for GPO if you haven't got it already, but it's a purchase you are unlikely to regret. Comes bundled with Sibelius so you may have it already - NOT TESTED HERE===

+

===Something to try if you have any of the Garritan instruments. Comes bundled with Sibelius so you may have it already. Can only use it with the Garritan sounds===

==WinAmp method==

==WinAmp method==

-

[http://users.lmi.net/bblackie/music/winamp/midi2wav.html Do it using WinAmp] Uses the DirectSound synth, same sounds as the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth.

+

This uses the DirectSound synth, same sounds as the Microsoft GS Wavetable synth.

I assume you haven't got WinAmp installed so will walk through the installation first

+

+

===Installation===

+

+

Download WinAmp from [http://www.winamp.com/media-player/download/all WinAmp Download Page]. The free Standard version is fine for this. If the installer asks you if you want to install DivX as well. You can if you like, but there is no need to install it for this feature.

+

+

[[Image:WinAmpDivXMessage.png]]

+

+

After it installs the Wizard pops up.

+

+

[[Image:WinAmpWizard.png]]

+

+

On the second page (after you click Next), it is okay to unselect everything in the {{hi|File Associations}}. You don't need anything there for this conversion to .WAV. That's the best thing to do unless you have already decided you want WinAmp to replace MediaPlayer or whatever you have as your default player for media.

+

+

You can always run the installer again and select everything on that page if you decide you want WinAmp as your default media player later on.

+

+

[[Image:WinAmpFileAssoc.png]]

+

+

===Choose the Microsoft Synthesizer (with output===

+

+

Anyway once you have WinAmp running, the next thing is to type {{hik|Ctrl + P}} to bring up the {{hiu|preferences}} window. Go to {{hi| Plugins >> Input}}.

+

[[Image:WinAmpPreferencesIn.png]]

+

+

Double click on the {{hi|Nullsoft MIDI Player}}.

+

+

Then under the {{Hiu|Device}} tab, go to the {{hi|Device:}} drop list, and select {{hik|DirectMusic / Microsoft Synthesizer (with output)}}.

+

+

[[Image:WinAmpMidiPlayer.png]]

+

+

Make sure you select the version "{with output)" there, or THIS WON'T WORK.

+

+

Then select OK.

+

+

Now you can go to {{hi|File >> Play File}}... in WinAmp and select the file you want to play, to hear what it sounds like.

+

+

=== Set Output to Disk Writer===

+

+

To render it to Wav you now need to make another change in the Preferences page.

Benefits of Midi to Wav

You can get a digitally exact recording that way - as it doesn't have to go through the soundcard first.

There is absolutely no noise

If the recording requires a lot of polyphony, no problem as the conversion just takes as long as it takes.

Works on Vista or Windows 7 even on computers that are unable to record to WAV at the same time as they play.

Alternative method - digitally exact recordings in Vista or Windows 7

Some software is able to record the digital data on its way to the soundcard in which case the resulting recording is digitally exact and clean just like a normal Midi to Wav conversion (so long as your computer is fast enough to play the music in real time).

This method works even if your computer is normally unable to record "What u hear" as it uses a different method to get the recording.

ITunes Method

Note - when iTunes starts up you get a message: "iTunes has detected that it is not the default player for audio files. Would you like to go to the Default Programs control panel to fix this?" with a check box "Do not show this message again".

If you want to keep your current player for media files, you need to answer No to that message every time it starts up.

Also, don't use the check box.

If you select "Do not show this message again", then it treats your answer as a "Yes" even if you press the "No" button. I got caught out by this. It does it without any feedback to show what it has just done, does it silently. You only realise what happened next time you play a media file and find it opens in iTunes. That's rather unintuitive, when you press "No" you expect the program to understand that you don't want it as your media player - but it's what it does, the check box overrides your choice and makes it into a Yes.

As you see in the video, this is what you do:

Switch on the Wav Encoder. To do that in ITunes go to the Edit menu and click on "Preferences". Select the "General tab". Go down and click on "Import Settings". Then on "Import Using", choose "WAV Encoder". Then save your your settings by clicking "OK".

Now copy the midi file you want to convert into iTunes. You can drag and drop them into iTunes. Or if they are all in one folder is to go to File in iTunes and select Add Folder to Library. For individual files you can also use File | Add to Library.

To do the conversion in iTunes, right click on the file you want to convert to WAV and select Create WAV version. The WAV file is created using the instruments for the QuickTime midi engine which is reasonable quality.

The converted file will appear in the Music section of iTunes and you can drag and drop to copy it back to your original folder or wherever you want to put it.

Apart from the minor annoyance that you have to keep answering No to a message every time iTunes starts up, this works well as a solution and is easy to use.

Free solution. Uses the Quicktime instruments, which are reasonable quality. But can't handle any other sound sets

Online free conversion tool - Ad supported

Online free tool to convert midi files to mp3 or wav Works fine. Has range of sound sets. But ad sponsored and the ads are rather intrusive popups of the form You have won a big prize... or the like, which you have to dismiss to use the tool. But they are easy to dismiss (as of writing this) and the tool does work and is very easy to use.

Very easy to use. Free, works, several sound sets. However, can't switch off the intrusive popup Ads

Great solution for XP, as a quick way to make an audio clip from a midi file. I've often used it there. I'm not sure if it works with Vista / Windows 7 though. I tried installing it here and it didn't work, though will try again and see if I can find out why it didn't install.

Low cost, easy to use. Sounds are of reasonable quality. Also adds many extra instruments for your Instruments menu. May not work in Vista or Windows 7

SynthFont

SynthFont - You can load any soundfont into the program and use it to convert the midi to wav.

I found the program a little confusing to start with so it will probably help to do a demo video or step through to show you how to do it.

Free Solution. Can use any soundfont, and also gig files so can be excellent quality. But a bit difficult for a newbie

Export to audio from your DAW such as Ableton, Sonar, Kontakt etc.

Most DAWs and similar programs nowadays offer export of midi to wav. FL Studio is worth mentioning as it lets you do midi to wav in the free version of the program.

Most of them have a rather steep learning curve, so expect to take some time getting to know the software before you can use it to its full potential. They aren't so easy to use as the other solutions if you come to the software as a complete newbie, and all you want to do is to convert midi to wav. But if you have one of these already then it's probably the easiest way for you to do it.

If you have one of these programs already then this is a good solution

Cantabile Lite / Cantabile Solo

If you want to record VSTi then Cantabile Lite is a good free solution, you can use Voxengo Recorder to record the audio. Cantabile Solo is a good low cost solution for direct conversion of Midi to Wav.

Cantabile Solo comes with a 30 day fully featured trial. To convert a midi file to audio in Solo first go to Media files section and load your midi file. Then go to the file menu (icon at top left of the program) and choose Import or Export and then Offline Render.

Something to try if you have any of the Garritan instruments. Comes bundled with Sibelius so you may have it already. Can only use it with the Garritan sounds

WinAmp method

I assume you haven't got WinAmp installed so will walk through the installation first

Installation

Download WinAmp from WinAmp Download Page. The free Standard version is fine for this. If the installer asks you if you want to install DivX as well. You can if you like, but there is no need to install it for this feature.

After it installs the Wizard pops up.

On the second page (after you click Next), it is okay to unselect everything in the File Associations. You don't need anything there for this conversion to .WAV. That's the best thing to do unless you have already decided you want WinAmp to replace MediaPlayer or whatever you have as your default player for media.

You can always run the installer again and select everything on that page if you decide you want WinAmp as your default media player later on.

Choose the Microsoft Synthesizer (with output

Anyway once you have WinAmp running, the next thing is to type Ctrl + P to bring up the preferences window. Go to Plugins >> Input.

Double click on the Nullsoft MIDI Player.

Then under the Device tab, go to the Device: drop list, and select DirectMusic / Microsoft Synthesizer (with output).

Make sure you select the version "{with output)" there, or THIS WON'T WORK.

Then select OK.

Now you can go to File >> Play File... in WinAmp and select the file you want to play, to hear what it sounds like.

Set Output to Disk Writer

To render it to Wav you now need to make another change in the Preferences page.